Clothespin receptacle and handle support therefor



Jan. 29, 1935. E. F. COSTIGAN 1,989,473

CLOTHESPIN RECEPTACLE AND HANDLE SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Nov. 14, 1932 -igp, Q.

3nnentor lbw aid 72 6576 01 Gttorneg Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN RECEPTAGLE AND HANDLE" surron'r THEREFOR facilitate the use of clothes pins.

Various types of clothes pin receptacles have heretofore been employed, such as bags and the like, with various means to hold the same open so as to make the pins accessible to the user or to attach the same to the clothes line so that the pins shall be within easy reach of the person hanging clothes on the line.

Owing to the flimsy nature of thebag material and the difliculty frequently experienced in putting pins into the bag and taking the same out, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved basket which shall facilitate the handling of clothes pins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a basket of the character designated which shall be provided with a novel form of handle or supporting device for attaching the same to a clothes line and holding the basket in an accessible position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a basket support of the character designated which shall form an integral part of the basket structure to reenforce the same.

These and other objects of the invention will be more manifest from the following specification and drawing and more particularly set forth in the claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a basket constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention to facilitate the use of clothes pins;

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing a detail of construction and the engagement of the support with a clothes line;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation and showing a fragmentary section; and

Figure 4 is perspective view of the wire handle.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown a woven wicker clothes pin basket provided with a. heavy wire handle or support 11 which is arranged to suspend the basket from a clothes line 13 in accordance with the present invention.

The basket is open at the top and is provided with a board bottom 12 to rigidly reenforce the basket and form an anchorage for the handle as hereinafter more fully described. By thus providing an open top basket for receiving clothes pins or otherwise facilitating their use when clothes pin clothes are hung on a line, I have obviated many of the difficulties heretofore experienced with the use of flimsy bag receptacles for such purposes.

The handle or suspension device 11 is substantially rectangular in shape so as to engage the 5 clothes line in two places of contact as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The handle comprises essentially side members 1415 and a horizontal top portion 16 which is bent over and downwardly in aplane parallel to the plane of the side mem- 10 bers as shown in Fig. 3. By bending over the top portion as shown, there is provided a U sha, ed loop at the upper extremity of each side memher to engage the clothes line at this point, and these loops are indicated by the numerals 17 and 18. At the central portion of the horizontal top section 16 is a centrally disposed loop 19 which extends vertically upward and above the clothes line engaging loops 17 and 18. This central loop 20 19 serves as a positive retaining member for the basket when it is desired to attach the basket to the line and prevent its accidental displacement therefrom by shaking or by being blown by the wind, on certain occasions. When it is desired to secure the basketto the line, the line is passed behind the loop as shown in Fig. 2, this causing the line to bind against the loops 17 and 18 and the central horizontal portion 16. The basket thus positively secured in this manner, it may be slid or skidded along the line 13 at-the convenience of the person using the clothes pins without any danger of the basket being dislodged from the line and thereby spilling the clothes pins on the ground with the attendant annoyance of such accidents. In other words, with my improved handle, it is necessary that the line he lifted over the loop to positively attach or remove the basket from the line as the case may be, and thereby insure the proper manipulation of the basket on the line.

The invention further contemplates a durable basket structure in which the wire handle forms an integral part of the basket construction and embodied therein during the fabrication of the basket. In the proposed construction, the basket body comprises the usual type of woven wicker work including horizontal strands 20 woven on vertical stay members 21. These stay members are secured to the peripheral edges of the board bottom 12 by inwardly turned portions 22-22 at the lower extremities of the respective stays. The inwardly turned portions fit into appropriate apertures 23, 23 provided in the edges of the board bottom. The handle sides 14-15 are arranged to replace certain of the wicker stay members at the respective ends of the basket. As shown in Fig. 2, these handle members are an integral part of the basket and are woven into the structure to reeniorce the same and at the same time anchor to the bottom 12 to provide the desired durable basket for the use intended. Each of the side members 14-15 is provided with an angularly disposed projection to anchor the wire handle to the board bottom and these are indicated by the numerals 2425 respectively. The side members being of a size commensurate'with the stay members they are readily incorporated into the basket structure to make a neat and finished appearing article and at the same time adequately reenforce the basket.

Having thus described a basket constructed in accordance with my invention, it will be apparent that the several novel features set forth contem plate a basket which shall greatly facilitate the handling of clothes pins when clothes are to'be secured to a clothes line or removed therefrom; namely an open basket which may be hung on the line or which may be positively attached thereto, as desired, without the use 01' any complicated parts. Furthermore, by incorporating the handle into the basket structure, there is provided a reentorced basket which shall be capable of withstanding the rough usage to which such receptacles may be subjected.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The combination with a clothes pin receptacle, 0! a rigid clothes line handle and support therefor comprising, a vertical side member extending upwardly from opposite sides thereof and each member forming an inverted U shaped loop at the top thereof, a horizontal member connecting one side of the loops to form a handle, and a member formed midway of said horizontal member and extending above the loops to engage a clothes line passing through said loops, whereby the line may be passed over said upwardly extending member to the opposite side thereot'to clamp the line.

EDWARD F. COSTIGAN. 

